The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) announced its decision to allow the use of three genetically modified maize varieties on commercial scale on March 18 in Hanoi.

Collecting and processing maize at a commune in Son La province (Photo for illustration)

Decision No 69/QD-CT-CLT issued on March 12 allows the Syngenta Company to distribute the varieties NK66 Bt, NK66 GT and NK66 Bt/GT, which are produced from the NK66 breed.

According to Pham Dong Quang, deputy head of the Department of Crop Production under the MARD, the approval of these maize varieties will provide more options for farmers to produce higher yields.

Kumar Datta, general director of Syngenta Vietnam, said his company plans to distribute these maize varieties in April and will focus on technology transfer for farmers in the first crop season.

The company would introduce their products at Vietnam’s key maize-growing areas like Son La, Dong Nai, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Dak Lak and cooperate with farmers to boost production, he said.

From 1996 to 2014, the genetically modified crop cultivation area worldwide has increased from 1.7 million hectares to 181.5 million hectares, in which soybean accounts for 48 percent, maize 33 percent and cotton 14 percent.

The United States is the top country in terms of cultivation area with 73.1 million hectares and the area is growing by four percent, or three million hectares, annually. It is followed by Brazil and Argentina.